Troubled Time Lords and Tea
by WriteMeARiver
Summary: After the events of Dalek, the ninth Doctor needs a little comforting. (An AU ending to the season one episode Dalek)


So, hey everyone, River here with a new story. I really should be working on the hundreds of others I have, but this one wouldn't leave me alone, and a friend of mine was in love with it, so it got done.

Just a little au companion piece to season one episode 6 Dalek.

Ya... Please comment and stuff

River

* * *

Dalek.

Rose pushed the name around her mind as she watched the Doctor methodically pilot the TARDIS. They had just finished dropping Adam at his house. The dark haired man had hinted a few times that he would love to travel through space in a genuine spaceship, but Rose was hesitant to agree. The Doctor either ignored or didn't notice the coy remarks Adam made, and as soon as he had dropped he had set the course for the vortex. So Rose sat on the jump seat watching him flick levers and pushing buttons without the usual gusto he normally piloted the TARDIS. He was completely silent, which wasn't totally unusual, but most times after they had finished running for their lives, the two would sit and talk. It wasn't always about what had just happened, sometimes it was just about random nonsense.

But tonight was different. Their latest adventure had almost ended up with her dead, and old memories and enemies dredged up for the Doctor. Memories that made Rose truly see how dangerous the Time Lord really was. The TARDIS gave a small shake, jolting Rose from her thoughts, as she finally slid into the vortex. Now comfortable in their position, Rose felt the TARDIS nudge the back of her mind with a concerned hum filling her brain. The Doctor had barely moved from his position by the console, and the blonde felt her own concern mix with the ships. A minute passed without the Doctor moving, and the hum at the back of Rose's mind grew louder. Sliding off the jump seat she slowly made her way across the metal grating to the Doctor.

"C'mon Doctor" she said in a almost whisper. She gave the Time Lord a moment to register her words before placing her hand gently on her leather clad shoulder and guiding him out of the console room. She floundered slightly in the hallway, unsure where to take him. Hoping the TARDIS was worried enough to help her, Rose tried the first door in the hallway.

The door opened into a medium sized bedroom. It wasn't sparse by any means, but it also didn't have the comfortable feel of a bedroom, the warm, lived in feeling. The walls were a dark, navy blue, and mapped across all the walls and the ceilings, were constellations. Most she didn't recognize, and she figured they must be from different parts of the universe. The star maps only stopped for the occasional shelf that laboured under the weight of old books.

Leading the Doctor further into the room, she realised that this was the first time she had been in the Time Lord's room. She was even borderline surprised at the king sized bed that dominated the center of the room. There had only been a couple times that the blonde has actually caught the Doctor sleeping, and he had almost always woken up the moment she had walked in. Looking at the carefully made bed, the lack of creases in the sheets and the look of exhaustion in the Doctor all made Rose wonder when the Doctor had last slept.

Without a word Rose gently pushed the Doctor down so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Calmly, as not to startle him, Rose wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. His arms quickly snaked around her, the time lord holding her tightly to him.

Whispering soft words of nonsense, Rose gently pulled away. The Doctor's hands followed her, as if he thought she would disappear if he wasn't touching her. A slightly stern look had his hands falling back to his side.

"Rose." The hoarseness of his voice made the blonde jump, but she quickly schooled her features to not betray the shock she felt. God she hated this. Seeing the Doctor, one of the bravest, strongest men she knew, so broken, so needy.

"It's okay" she quietly told him, touching his shoulder, feeling his tensing muscles once more relax, "Shhhhh." Rose then slid her hands over the Doctor's shoulders under his leather jacket, gently pushing it from his shoulders. Silently mouthing an apology, she tossed the leather jacket onto the floor. Her hands moved down to the hem of his shirt, and she looked quickly to his face to see if he would react negatively to her ministrations. The Doctor's face though remained blank though so she continued, pulling his shirt over his head, where it quickly joined the leather jacket on the ground.

The blonde couldn't help but stare at the Doctor's bare chest. He wasn't muscular in the typical sense, no six pack, but his body was toned from years of running and fighting. _The body of a soldier_ she realised. Taking a deep breathe, Rose took a step back and looked around the room for some form of dresser. With the TARDIS guiding her with soft nudges and gentle hums, the blonde human eventually found a pair of emerald green pyjamas made from some incredibly soft, light material that Rose had no name for.

Pulling them out, Rose made her way back over to the Time Lord. Setting them on the bed beside the Doctor, she quickly said "I'm going to go make some tea. Okay? Just put them on please."

The blonde turned to leave when a vice like grip seized her wrist. Rose looked down into the frightened eyes of the Doctor. She remembered what had happened with the Dalek only hours ago, and how she had almost died, away from him, out of his grasp, the TIme Lord's behaviour made so much more senseé

"It's okay. I'm just going to make a cuppa. I'll be right back."

The grip loosened slightly, but the fearful look did not leave his face. Rose gently drew back, slipping her hand out. In a moment of courage she placed a soft peck on his forehead and as quick as she had kissed him, she was out of the room leaving the Time Lord alone.

In the kitchen, Rose busied herself with making a cup of tea for her and the Doctor. As the water boiled, the blonde human leaned against the counter of the TARDIS's kitchen.

_I almost died today._

The thought hit her like a freight train. It was true, she almost died somewhere in the future, alone, trapped.

_But you didn't, and you both survived._

The kettle whistled loudly breaking Rose's thoughts apart. With a shake she quickly finished the tea, dumping a large amount of sugar and cream in hers and leaving the Doctor's black as she knew he liked to drink it. Picking up both mugs, she made her way back to the Doctor's room.

The Time Lord had changed into the pyjamas like she had told him, but he had not moved from where she had left him. Looking around, Rose spotted a small bedside table where she placed both mugs.

"I brought you a cuppa, it's hot s-"

"How can you stand to even be around me?"

The question threw Rose off balance, and she remained quiet, unsure how to respond to the Doctor's words. The Time Lord took her silence though as a prompt for her to go on.

"How many times have you almost died since you've met me? You're young and have a full life ahead of you, and travelling with me shortens your life span. Today, in Van Statten's bunker you almost died young and alone. For Rassilon's sake you are 19 years. And I almost got you killed!" The Time Lord's voice grew louder and louder with each word, and Rose couldn't help but take a step back.

The Doctor stared at her for a minute, a look akin to pain and guilt filling his eyes, and then placed his face in his hands, unable to look at her any more. Rose took a moment to process the Doctor's rant, and when she did, she grew angry.

"Listen to me you leather jacketed git. I travel with you because I love it. I love the danger, the adventure. I accept that I almost died, but I didn't. I survived." Rose made her way closer to the bed and crouched so that she was kneeling next to the Doctor. "We survived!" She whispered.

The Doctor lifted his head from his hands from his face and looked at Rose.

"Rose."

Her name was all it took for the blonde to pull off her shoes and motion for the Doctor to lay down. The Time Lord surprisingly did what she told him to without a single complaint. Without another word she was laying in the bed beside him, and the TARDIS was dimming the lights for them.

The Doctor was laying on his side, facing away from Rose, his muscles tensed as if the moment she took her eyes off of him, he would be gone, away from so many emotions. Rose couldn't allow that, so she scooted across the bed and wrapped her arms tightly around him again.

"I'm not gonna leave you Doctor"

The 6 words were all it took to make the Doctor roll over in her arms, he wrapped his own arms around her briefly, but his hold was looser than hers. He buried his face in the hair that fell between her shoulder and her neck, just over her collarbone and took a deep breath.

She was safe. His Rose, his own saving grace was safe.

The Time Lord's body slowly relaxed and Rose went loose against him as her breathing slowed and she fell asleep. Lifting his head, the Doctor couldn't help but stare at his blonde companion, and marvel on how beautiful she truly was. Placing a kiss on her hair, the Doctor to closed his eyes and let his exhausted body get the sleep it actually needed.

Tea forgotten, the broken Time Lord found peace in the arms of his Rose.


End file.
